Before you start cleaning out your desk you need to determine what you want your desk to be and how it will serve you in the coming year. Make a list of the purposes your desk will serve for you and your family. For some it is a fun place to sit and check email or update your status on Facebook. For others it is a place where you sit most of the day and work while throwing a little bit of fun in! And finally, some play games, do homework or even shop. You need to decide your purpose first.

Although I usually recommend organizing one space in your home at a time, I am going to make an exception to that rule. Most likely your biggest nemesis in organizing your home is paper! At first it may seem innocent with one receipt here or one permission slip there. But before you know it, paper multiplies itself by the hundreds and overtakes your home like the infamous “blob” from a sci-fi movie. And because paper has most likely spread itself into every nook and cranny of your home, we are going to tackle this wild beast first.

It may not seem like a big deal, but think about how much time is wasted just looking for files, or having to recreate files that were accidentally deleted because you did not have a process in place for sorting and deleting old, unnecessary files.

Don’t want to spend the money to straighten up the mess? No need, you can reuse everyday items such as empty toilet paper rolls, binder clips and even bread bag ties to help get that mess of cables organized and looking good.